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At the age of 41, Harry Rodriguez found out he had three clogged arteries. Now age 50, and 25 stents in his chest later, he's working hard to manage heart disease with proper diet and exercise. He also keeps track of some basic numbers that tell him how well his heart is ticking.

“By watching my vital signs I understand when, more or less, I'm sick,” he says.

Like millions of Americans, Rodriguez has no choice but to stay on top of his health. But his doctor says knowing numbers that can tell you what condition your heart is in, is something everyone can benefit from.

Those numbers include cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and body mass index.

“Knowing your numbers can have a significant impact on the development of heart disease and going through a cardiac emergency,” says Dr. Jonathan Whiteson of NYU Langone Medical Center. “The more proactive people are, the more we are ahead of the game.”

One of the simplest and most common tests is blood pressure.

“A normal blood pressure is 120 over 80. The 120 being the systolic number, the 80 being the diastolic number,” Whiteson explains. “At that number or below, you have a very good blood pressure and a very low risk of developing heart disease. But if your blood pressure rises 140 over 90, that's considered hypertension and your risk of developing heart disease increases tremendously.”

Blood tests can measure bad cholesterol, known as LDL, and good cholesterol, referred to as HDL.

“A man, for his HDL, if his HDL is in the 50 to 60 range, he has a lower propensity for developing heart disease,” says the doctor. “However, below 40, specifically below 35, he has an increased risk.”

And the more elevated your BMI or body mass index and waist circumference, the greater your risk for heart disease.

Given the growing concern about childhood obesity, knowing your numbers isn't just important for adults. It can also be vital for kids, too.

“There is no doubt children have high cholesterol and in many times we are now finding children have high blood pressure,” says Whiteson. “It's never too early to institute a heart healthy lifestyle. Starting around the age of eight, it is not uncommon to start testing for cholesterol.”

You can have your numbers checked annually during most regular doctor visits. Patients with numbers outside of the normal range should get tested more frequently.

To find out the best heart healthy numbers AmericanHeart.org>.